


Array

by BlueMoonVonIdaho



Category: Pirate101 (Video Game)
Genre: Origin Story (of sorts), The Wizard is a nerd apparently, headcanons galore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 16:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20915063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueMoonVonIdaho/pseuds/BlueMoonVonIdaho
Summary: Before a game of chess begins, thirty-two pieces must be placed on the chessboard. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, two knights, bishops, and rooks, and one king and queen. White’s rooks are placed on the outside corner squares of the board. The knights are placed next to the rooks, the bishops next to the knights, and the king and queen in the center, with the queen on the square that matches her color. The pawns stand in a line in front of these pieces. Black’s pieces mirror White’s at the opposite end of the board.Two pirates on the wrong end of a bounty hunt are joined by the most unlikely of allies. The help comes not a moment too soon—they’re to be handed over to the mechanical clutches of the Armada! But as they attempt to escape, they learn that more than just their lives hang in the balance...





	Array

“A fine mess we’re in this time,” Mr. Gandry scoffed. The heels of his shoes thumped faintly against hard planks as he paced. “I told you we should have hidden in Jonah Town.”

Boochbeard, seated on a nearby barrel, shrugged. “How was I to know those Crabs would be waitin’ for us? We’d have been just fine if we’d made it to Avery.” He kicked his legs up onto a smaller crate and leaned back, his arms serving as a cushion between his head and the wall.

The Monkey scoffed at that. “Avery would sell out his own mother for enough gold. If we get out of here—”

“Shh!” Boochbeard sat up straight, his remaining eye narrowing as he squinted into the dark shadows of the hold. “Did ye hear that?”

Gandry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “The Crabs must be coming back to make sure we haven’t escaped.”

However, the figure who emerged from behind a stack of crates was clearly not a Crab. As they approached, it became clear that they were a Human, and a young one at that.

“Ahoy, there!” Boochbeard called, waving to the small figure. “Do you think ye could get us out of this hold?”

“Yes, If you please!” Gandry added. “We haven’t got all day—the guards will be back any moment!”

“Uh, I probably could, yeah,” came the reply. The small human spoke with an odd accent that neither pirate could place. They studied the two for a moment, then muttered something about an organ grinder. That was followed by a hastily muffled giggle.

Gandry had little patience to spare for jokes. “Can you, or can you not?”

Finally, the human stepped out of the shadows, revealing that they wore a long, neat tunic and carried what could only be a wand in their hand. “Yes, I can. Follow me.”

Boochbeard let out a startled guffaw and gave the Monkey a nudge that nearly knocked him over. “Well, stone the crows! A wizard, in Skull Island! Good day t’ye! The name’s Boochbeard, and this here’s me first mate, Mr. Gandry. We were—”

“Please,” Gandry said with a warning look at Boochbeard, “there will be time for pleasantries later.”

“Actually, I’m with him on this one,” the wizard said, pointing to the Monkey. “The sooner you two are out of danger, the better.”

“How come?”

“I dunno, but the Maestro wants you out of the way, and I’ve never heard of him doing anything for a good reason.”

“The what?”

The wizard took a deep breath. “He’s…well, you see, he… Uh, never mind. It’s kind of complicated.”

The deck lurched beneath their feet as the _Coconut Crawler_ slowed. Boochbeard and Gandry, both experienced sailors, kept their balance with ease. The wizard, on the other hand, stumbled sideways. They flailed their arms wildly, finally latching onto a nearby barrel for support.

Gandry swallowed as the ship came to a complete stop and settled back into a steady, rocking rhythm. “This cannot be good. We need to get off of this Crab-infested sloop before the guards—”

At the far end of the hold, a creaking of hinges and heavy footsteps announced the arrival of said guards. Three massive Crabs thumped down the stairs, weapons glinting in the dim light. Their eyes narrowed as they struggled to adjust to the relative gloom.

“All right, ye scallywags, up top with ye. It’s time for you to—” The leader stopped midsentence when he caught sight of the wizard. His head bobbed as he counted the prisoners once, then again, and finally a third time.

“Hey! What’s all this!?”

“They never listen…” Gandry grumbled.

The wizard scooted behind Boochbeard, lips moving soundlessly. Light played around the tip of their wand. Something rippled through the air in the hold, not unlike a heat haze across the horizon.

The lead Crab stalked forward, shouldering Boochbeard aside. “Hey! What do you think ye’re—”

Light erupted in front of the wizard. Their face screwed up in concentration as they continued to weave their magic, shaping the light into a strange symbol.

“Oh no.”

The completed symbol vanished in a flash of light. A massive creature—Gandry couldn’t even begin to describe it—materialized in the center of the hold. The two pirates who had not advanced began to backpedal, shoving each other aside in their haste to reach the door. The third turned and stared up at the beast looming over him. With a shout, he swung his cutlass at it. It bounced off of the creature’s skin without leaving so much as a scratch.

With a mighty roar, the creature turned, swatting the hapless Crabs aside. They hit the wall with a thud and slid to the floor in a groaning heap.

The monster immediately dissolved into motes of light. The wizard sighed and dusted their hands off as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Let’s get out of here before they get back up.”

The Crabs wisely made no attempt to stop the group as they hurried toward the door that had conveniently been left open. One of them dragged himself to his feet and shook a claw at their retreating backs.

“It still don’t matter!” he shouted after them. “The Maestro, he’s already here, and he’s got some fierce friends with ‘im. Ye’re all going t’be shipped off to the Armada!”

His bravado vanished when the wizard tossed a bolt of magic in his direction. With a high-pitched yelp, the Crab dove behind a crate. Boochbeard wasted no time slamming the door and bolting it, locking the unfortunate Crabs in the hold.

“The Armada!” he yelped once there was no more danger from the pirates. “Let’s get above decks and find a way off this leaky tub, quick!” Without waiting for an answer, he sprinted for the stairs that would take them up to the main deck.

“Oh, _now_ we are in a hurry!” Gandry paused only long enough to roll his eyes before he too took off running. If his captain got out of his sight, there was no telling what kind of trouble he might get them into. He quickly began huffing and puffing as his shorter legs strained to match Boochbeard’s pace.

A startled squawk sounded behind him, followed by the thumping of feet as the wizard hurried to catch up. “Wait for me!”

At last, Gandry closed the gap enough to grab the back of Boochbeard’s coat. His heels skidded across the deck as he strained to slow Boochbeard down. In typical fashion, Boochbeard didn’t notice the sudden resistance until he reached the stairs and yanked Gandry right off his feet. He stopped and looked back, his expression one of almost comical surprise.

“Oh, I didn’t see you there!”

“Perhaps,” Gandry said with pointed calm, “we should try the stealthy approach instead of charging straight onto the deck?” He straightened his hat, which had been knocked askew in the confusion.

The wizard came to a stop beside them and hunched over, resting their hands on their knees. “Can we…stop…for a minute?” they wheezed.

Boochbeard nodded. “O’course we can!”

Gandry shook his head. It was a miracle that everyone on board didn’t already know they’d escaped.

The little group crept up the steps, wincing at every creak and groan from beneath their feet. Somehow, they made it up to the main deck without being spotted. A few sailors bustled around the deck, securing ropes and clearing loose items away. The rest had probably taken the opportunity to sneak off and guzzle some Yum. A gangplank stretched between the _Coconut Crawler_ and a second ship anchored nearby. Gandry could make out clockwork soldiers stationed at the rails.

“Perhaps we can make our getaway in one of the lifeboats?” Gandry whispered, pointing toward a row of small rowboats hanging on the opposite side of the ship.

“Hold on!” With surprising speed, considering his bulk, Boochbeard grabbed the back of Gandry’s collar and hauled him behind a stack of crates. He sank into a crouch to keep his hat from poking over the top of the pile. Under better circumstances, his awkward posture as he tried to make himself as small as possible might have been comical.

Gandry straightened and smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt, fixing Boochbeard with a glare. “Shh!”

“Shh!” the wizard pointed out from behind their own crate. Gandry leaned over until he could just see around the side of the pile.

Two figures stood on the main deck. One was an unfamiliar fellow who appeared to be from Marleybone. He looked as out of place on the deck of a ship as the wizard did. The other, a Clockwork wearing a long, black cloak, had just stepped across the second ship. From this angle, Gandry could make out unnervingly precise letters painted on her bow: _Erebus_.

The Marleybonian nodded to the clockwork as he stepped aboard. “Salutations, Deacon. I have the two pirates I told you about, down in the hold.”

Gandry swallowed a lump that had just materialized in his throat. As if things couldn’t get any worse, now they were dealing with the Armada’s spymaster, a member of Kane’s inner circle. He’d heard of Deacon, but never seen him in person before.

“Are you certain those two could ever cause us any trouble?” Deacon did not sound impressed. “I’m not sure I have faith in your visions of the future.”

“Trust me. If you don’t deal with them today, they’ll ignite a catastrophic chain of events that will undo everything you’ve built.” Their captor waved one arm, gesturing to the _Erebus_. “It all begins with them rescuing a young orphan from your flagship there. That young orphan will go on to destroy the Armada. She also has information that could be crucial to your success, information you will never learn if you let her slip through your fingers. Better to be safe and stop them now, yes?”

A clicking and creaking of gears rang across the deck as Deacon raised one hand to his chin. His head tilted slightly to one side, a perfect imitation of someone lost in thought.

“Is that a clockwork?!” The wizard’s jaw dropped as they pointed to Deacon. “It’s so lifelike! Professor Balestrom would have a field day with—”

“What’s that!?”

“…oops.”

Boochbeard stood up and gave the pair a sheepish wave. “Well, hello there! Don’t mind us, we were just leavin’…” He shuffled toward the lifeboats as he spoke, with all the subtlety of a buffaloon in a china shop.

“How did they escape? Those idiotic Crabs!” the Marleybonian fumed. “Stop them, quickly!”

Accusing finger outstretched, the wizard stood up straight, wand at the ready. “Don’t even think about it, Maestro!”

The Maestro gaped. “Wha—a wizard!? How did you get here?”

The wizard’s forehead wrinkled in confusion, but only for a moment before their face lit up. “Oh, I get it! _This_ is why you’ve been screwing around with Ravenwood’s history.”

“Enough of this! Marines, slay them all!” Deacon pointed the head of his cane at the trio. A group of clockwork soldiers marched across the gangplank, raising halberds and readying spark throwers.

Boochbeard took one look at the horde of clockworks between him and the lifeboats and backpedaled, one cautious step at a time, until he stood next to the wizard and Mr. Gandry. “Er…got any more magic tricks up yer sleeve, there, wizard?”

The wizard, already absorbed in the motions of casting a spell, nodded absently.

On the other side of the deck, the clockworks began firing their spark throwers. Boochbeard and Gandry dove back behind the crates. The wizard, too focused on making one of their light-runes, didn’t notice the bursts of electricity coming at them until one hit their shoulder.

Gandry winced reflexively. A hit like that was going to hurt. The wizard flinched, but didn’t fall over like an ordinary person would. They blinked and looked around for the source of the shock, taking their eyes off the half-finished rune in front of them. It quickly faded and crumbled to dust.

More clockworks fired their weapons. At such close range, almost all of the shots hit their target.

“Hey, ow!” the wizard yelped, throwing up an arm to shield their face. More bursts hit their arms and torso, but it only appeared to annoy them. “Knock it off!”

The bursts continued to fly. With an irritated huff, the wizard reached into their pocket. They withdrew what appeared to be a playing card. Its surface gleamed gold in the afternoon sunlight as they tossed it into the air. With a flash and a crackle of electricity, the card dissolved into nothing.

More sparks flew at the wizard, but dissipated harmlessly against a translucent sphere of violet energy. With a triumphant “Ha!” the wizard went back to their spellcasting.

Several more seconds passed before the clockworks realized their shots weren’t having any effect on the wizard. They exchanged their spark throwers for shields and halberds, but by then it was too late.

For the second time that day, Boochbeard and Gandry watched in awe as their attackers were swept aside by a massive creature that appeared out of nowhere. Deacon watched from the safety of the upper deck. While his expressionless mask showed no emotion, something about him radiated displeasure.

Boochbeard prodded Gandry’s shoulder, much harder than was really necessary. “Quick! Let’s find us a lifeboat, before any more of ‘em come runnin’!”

“Come along, quickly!” Gandry turned to the wizard.

To his surprise, however, they shook their head. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got my own way out. I’ll hold off those clockworks while you escape. Maybe I can bring one back with me…”

With a sigh, Gandry hurried after Boochbeard. He wasn’t going to pick an argument with a wizard. Especially a wizard who had just saved their lives. Not to mention that they seemed more fascinated by the clockworks than scared of them. Wizards really were strange people.

Boochbeard had already readied one of the lifeboats. Gandry peered inside and wrinkled his nose. It looked like one of the Crabs had spilled Yum in the bottom and forgotten to clean it up. Repeatedly.

“This boat is repulsive.”

“It’ll do, Monkey. It’ll do.” Boochbeard climbed into the lifeboat and fumbled for the winch that would lower it, completely unbothered by the sticky bottom and terrible smell. Gandry followed, his lip curling in disgust.

Boochbeard waved a cheerful goodbye. “Thanks, wizard! I don’t know how we’d have gotten out of that pinch without ye!”

The wizard gave them a smile and a thumbs-up as Boochbeard began winching the lifeboat downward. They turned to face a fresh wave of clockworks, still grinning from ear to ear, an instant before the boat sank below the ship’s rail.

The Maestro’s voice echoed after them as they descended. “This isn’t over! I will find out where you came from, wizard, and I will destroy you!”

“Good luck with that!”

The lifeboat bobbed as its bottom touched whatever it was that let boats float through the skyways. Boochbeard and Gandry made short work of the knots holding it in place. Boochbeard fumbled in the bottom for the oars, nearly walloping both his first mate and the sides of the boat as he muscled them into the oarlocks. With a few powerful heaves, he sent the little craft speeding away from both the _Coconut Crawler_ and the _Erebus_.

Gandry stood in the bow, doing his best to ignore the squeamish feeling of congealed Yum and who knew what else beneath his shoes. “What course, Captain?”

A grunt rang out as Boochbeard gave another pull on the oars. “Let’s get as far from these skies as possible, an’ lay low ‘til all this Armada business blows over!”

“Port! Veer to port!” Gandry yelped as their course brought them dangerously close to a school of batacuda. “No, the other port!”

Boochbeard hastily corrected his heading, and both heaved sighs as the school passed by with plenty of distance to spare.

“What about this orphan the Maestro mentioned? The one who can apparently defeat them?”

Boochbeard paused, oars suspended halfway through a stroke. “Oooh! Good idea! I guess we should go find ‘em!” He dug the oars in with renewed vigor. The rowboat lurched wildly as it all but flew through the sky.

Gandry clung to the bow for dear life. As they made—once again—for Skull Island, he spared a few seconds to let out a weary sigh. Some things never changed.

**Author's Note:**

> I left the wizard's gender and school ambiguous on purpose--by all means, insert your own Wizard101 OC here.  
Constructive criticism is encouraged and greatly appreciated!


End file.
